Modernizing the baby blanket

July 1, 2013

In the not too distant past, babies would sleep in their cribs with several blankets and numerous toys nearby to keep them company. Nowadays, however, there is a different method, where the baby wears one blanket and there are no toys in the crib.

This new type of blanket, called the Halo SleepSack, is a blanket that the baby wears that cannot be kicked off and that replaces loose blankets in the crib, which can cover a baby's face and interfere with breathing. The SleepSack promotes safer sleeping and decreases the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. SIDS is marked by the sudden death of an infant younger than 1 year that remains unexplained even after a complete autopsy, a death scene investigation and a thorough review of the clinical history as conducted. Included in the possible risk factors of SIDS are excesses of bedding, clothing, soft sleep surfaces or stuffed animals.

According to Lisa Holtzclaw, director of Women's and Children's Services for Trinity Health, the SleepSack was developed by William Schmid, after losing a child to SIDS in 1991. From that tragedy, Halo and its mission was started, she continued. Since 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested the use of wearable blankets, Holtzclaw said.

Article Photos

Submitted photoThe baby shown in this submitted photo is wearing a Halo SleepSack, a new type of wearable blanket that replaces regular blankets and promotes safer sleeping as well as decreases incidents of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Trinity Hospital uses the SleepSack in its nursery and sends each baby home with his or her own SleepSack.

Submitted photoBabies in the nursery at Trinity Hospital are shown in this submitted photo wearing Halo SleepSacks, a new type of wearable blanket. The SleepSack replaces loose blankets in the crib and promotes safer sleeping and decreases the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

All babies born at Trinity Hospital are clothed in the SleepSack. Holtzclaw said healthy babies wear cream-colored SleepSacks, while babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit wear sage green SleepSacks. The SleepSack issued by Trinity is returned when babies are sent home with their parents, she explained, but a blue or pink SleepSack with the Trinity logo is sent home with the parents.

Holtzclaw said the Trinity Health Foundation supported the initial investment to purchase the SleepSacks. The funds also came from the Golden K Kiwanis Fund, she added, to support the health care needs of children.

Halo SleepSacks are sold in stores or online at (halosleep.com) and are available in either cotton or fleece.

- Never use wedges or positioners to prop your baby up or keep him/her on his/her back.

- Never allow anyone to smoke around your baby or take your baby into a room or car where someone has recently smoked.

Always:

- Place baby to sleep on his/her back at naptime and at nighttime

- Use a crib that meets current safety standards with a firm mattress that fits snugly and is covered with only a tight-fitting crib sheet. Place your baby's crib near your bed.

- Remove all soft bedding and toys from your baby's sleep area. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests using a wearable blanket instead of loose blankets to keep your baby warm.

- Breastfeed, if possible, but when finished, put your baby back to sleep in his/her separate sleep area alongside your bed.

- Offer a pacifier when putting the baby to sleep. If breastfeeding, introduce the pacifier after one month or after breastfeeding has been established.

- Source: The American Academy of Pediatrics

SleepSacks have been in use at Trinity since mid-May. Holtzclaw noted. Trinity is the first hospital in central North Dakota to use them. Only one other hospital in North Dakota has been using SleepSacks.

There are some definite benefits to using Halo SleepSacks. "They reduce excess bedding and clothing and they provide a safe sleep environment," Holtzclaw said. Loose blankets can impair a baby's breathing, she added.

Holtzclaw said she and the other nurses educate parents on how to place their baby to sleep. It's recommended that babies sleep on their back with no toys or bumpers in the crib. They also really encourage parents to control the air temperature in their house instead of using a lot of blankets, she added.